“It just doesn’t seem…proper…to me. If I move back here to Moonbeam, we can’t have rumors going around. You girls are going to have to make sure that you do things properly. Make sure there isn’t gossip floating around town. If my friends move here too…well, we can’t have gossip. We cannot. I won’t stand for it.”
Donna looked over at Evelyn, then back at their mother.“I’m sure it will be fine, Mother. And you haven’t even decided yet, have you?”
“No, not for certain. I’ll need to see which ladies are planning on moving here first.”
Of course. Make sure theproperpeople were moving to Sunrise Village. Of course. Donna looked at her mother, knowing she should ask her to come and sit down and offer her some tea. But suddenly she was tired. And a half-hour of listening to her mother condemn the town or things any of them did just seemed like thirty minutes too long.
Her mother glanced at the gold watch dangling from her wrist.“Well, I can’t stay. It’s getting late. My driver is waiting for me in the drive.”
“Okay, Mom. Glad you stopped by.”Suddenly Donna wasn’t quite as tired as she led her mother back to the front door.
Her mother stepped outside, then turned back to her.“I mean it, Donna. You must make sure that you keep everyone under control if I move back here. No gossip. No scandal.”
She just nodded as her mother walked away, and her driver held the door open for her. She settled into the back seat and they drove away.
“Bye, Mother,”she whispered softly.
What kind of daughter was hoping that her motherdidn’tmove to town? That she found another place a safe distance away? She sighed as she went back inside.
She found the three of them opening a bottle of red wine. She laughed.“I guess this does call for a drink.”
“To surviving Mother’s visit?”Evelyn grinned.
Donna laughed.“No, we’re going to toast to your newfound freedom.”She raised her glass.“To Evelyn. May her life be filled with happiness from this day forward.”
“To Evelyn,”Heather and Olivia toasted.
“And to the strong Parker women. Every one of us.”
And the Parker women all clinked their glasses.
Chapter 23
By the middle of the week, they’d discovered that Melody Tanner was an excellent cook, too. She became a great help to Evelyn in the kitchen. Olivia hired Brittany, a friend of Emily’s, to work after school and on Saturdays. She was still toying with the idea of hiring another person full-time, but for now Heather was helping them out each day. She kept thinking that their rush of customers would slow down as the newness of the cafe wore off.
Or maybe not.
Austin hadn’t been in yet this week. Or called. She’d half-expected him to ask her out again for Sunday since he knew the cafe was closed on Sundays. But her phone had been silent.
“Hey, you.”
She whirled around at the sound of Austin’s voice.Had just thinking about him made him appear?
No, because she’d been thinking about him nonstop since Sunday night…
“Hi, Austin.”Her heart fluttered in her chest at the sight of him. At the memory of his kisses.
“Thought I’d come in and grab some supper. You look really busy, though.”
She glanced around the crowded room.“We are, but take that table over there. I’ll get you a menu.”
She went to get him a menu and deliver an order to a table. Then, as she was headed to take his order, she paused. There were Emily and Brett sitting just two tables from Austin with Brittany taking their order. Emily waved to her, a happy look plastered on her face at eating dinner with her father.
She went to Austin’s table and saw that he’d noticed Emily and Brett.“Emily looks happy,”Austin said.
“She does. She’s enjoying having Brett around.”She took out the order pad and a pen.“You ready to order?”
“I think I’ll have the meatloaf sandwich.”
